Muskegon Heights plan to charter schools, cut $12-million deficit may be a first
The emergency manager for Muskegon Heights Public Schools is taking an unprecedented approach to eliminate the district's severe debt -- one of the worst deficits among Michigan's schools -- by chartering the entire west Michigan district.
It's a first-of-its-kind maneuver in Michigan and one that others are watching with curiosity and a fair amount of skepticism.
"It's a novel way to think about it. And it may be the answer for those districts that are so far severely in deficit it may be the light at the end of the tunnel," said David Martell, executive director of the Michigan School Business Officials.
But, he said, "There's a lot of questions here for me, and I don't think (the answers) have seen the light of day yet."
The 1,400-student Muskegon Heights district would cease to educate children and turn that over to a charter management company, which would use per-pupil funding allocated for each child to operate the
Online Auction to Sell Items from Muskegon Heights Public Schools
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich.—
The Muskegon Heights School District is selling all items not needed for the next school year at an online auction starting Tuesday, in an effort to try to get out of debt.
You can access the items at www.biddergy.com. So far, trucks, buses, and trailers are available to bid on, starting at $100.00. More items should be coming soon. The auction will run as long as the school system has items available.
The Muskegon Heights School District is transitioning from a public school, to a charter school. That's part of the plan to get the district out of a 12.4 million dollar debt.